First Meetings
by noisemaker
Summary: Today is someone's first day back to the CCGH ER. This is a point of view story for the days events
1. Ch 1 Susan's POV

First Meetings  
  
Author: Noisemaker  
Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing. There are owned by NBC, Warner Brothers or whoever else has money invested in them.  
Summary: This is a point-of-view story. It is Susan's point of view on her first day back in Chicago. If I get good reviews I will write other characters' point of view for the same day.  
Time: End of September 2001  
Cast of Characters: Pretty much everyone in the cast.  
  
Note: I apologize for the Pokemon that was posted here. I tried to upload during the time when the site was down, and someone else's got posted by mistake. But it is ER I promise you that.  
  
I walked into the ER, the same ER I used to call home, but everything was so different. The receptionist at the desk thought me to be a patient or patient's family and sent me to chairs. I just sat down, it's not like I work here anymore, I can't just go wherever I want. I watched as the graveyard shift started to leave and the day shift came in. I didn't recognize one doctor or nurse in the whole group. Peter was the first person I saw that I knew, but he didn't see me. We never got along well anyhow.  
  
I started to think that maybe *he* wasn't coming in today, or even that he didn't work here anymore. No one had noticed me yet; I could still sneak out if I wanted to. Unfortunately, my luck stays the same and Haleh comes in. She does her usual check of chairs and notices me right away. "Dr. Lewis," she calls as she comes over to me. "You're back."  
  
I just smile in reply and shake my head. "I'm back in Chicago, but not County."  
  
"That will change," she adds. "You won't be able to stay away."  
  
I didn't have time to answer her or dispute her theory because I was grabbed in a hug by Carter. When he released me I was able to see how he'd changed. He looked older, but not just from normal aging. Something happened to him to make him older, but I don't know what. Kerry arrived a little while later. But all she did was politely say "hello" and make sure Carter started his shift. Well, at least Kerry's still the same.  
  
I spent the morning with Chuni, Haleh, and Lydia catching up on all the changes. Although, the one person they didn't mention was the person I'm mostly here to see, Mark.  
  
We went to lunch at Doc Magoo's and I just happened to look up just in time to see him walking into the ER. I suppressed my wanting to run over to him, not only because it would be somewhat rude to the people I was sitting with, but because of the red head he was walking in with. I didn't have the opportunity to think about it for very long because Kerry sat down in the booth with us. "Susan, I don't know how long you'll be in Chicago, but... uh... would you be willing to come back and work?" she asked. I was totally shocked but she didn't give me time to answer. "I know it's rather short notice, but we really could use your help?"  
  
There was no way I could turn her down. Kerry doesn't like asking for help, so for her to ask me to work meant that she was really desperate. She walked back with us and led me up to talk to the Chief of Staff to finalize everything. Kerry even suggested that if I wanted to start today I could. I decided I might as well, who knows I might have to work with Mark. Ok, so I got stuck with overnight hours and a longer shift, but it didn't bother me that much.   
  
The first few hours moved pretty slowly. I was introduced to most of the new staff and was shown around by this Croatian doctor. It wasn't till about dinnertime when anything major decided to come in. I had to take a motorcycle victim. After calling for a surgery consult, I was face to face with the redhead from earlier. "Somebody called for a consult?" she said as she came in. She noticed me as being a 'new' doctor. "I'm Elizabeth Corday, associate Chief of Surgery," she said as she began she examination. "There's some rebounding in the abdomen. Lydia, get me the ultrasound." She looked as the machine was wheeled over and waited for me to introduce myself.  
  
"Susan Lewis," I answered. "I'm the new ER attending. Or returning, I should say."  
  
Dr. Corday just nodded as she watched the monitor. "Torn spleen. Let's get him to the OR," she said as she snapped up the guardrail. I did the same on my side and we wheeled the gurney to the elevators. "Dr. Lewis," she said as we waited for an elevator. "If you see Dr. Greene, can you tell him to stop by my office?"  
  
"Sure. I've been looking for him all afternoon and haven't seen him. But I'll let him know when I find him." She looked at me a little funny when I said that, but she got on the elevator without saying anything else to me. I went over to the board and wiped my patient's name off. There was no on else who had to be seen so I went into the lounge. I sat down on the couch and stared out the window. All of a sudden a pair of hands covered my eyes. "Susan, guess who?" said the voice. My first thought was that it was Mark. But the voice was that of a girl's.   
  
"I don't know," I said and the hands were removed. I turned around and there was Rachel. She came around and gave me a hug. "You just get here?" we asked at the same time. Rachel laughed and went over to her dad's locker to put her backpack down. "I got in last night," I replied. "What about you?"  
  
She closed the door before answering, "I've been here since August." She must have noticed a slightly confused look on my face because she started to explain. "Mom let me move back to Chicago to live with Dad. I've been here for two months already."   
  
"Hey Rach," said Chuni sticking her head into the lounge. "Your dad wants you."  
  
Rachel stood up to leave. "Rachel," I said to stop her. "Don't tell Mark I'm here. I want to talk to him myself." Rachel nodded and left the lounge. It took me almost half and hour to build up enough courage to try to find him. I walked out of the lounge to check the board. Mark was in Exam 3 with a patient, and the other patient in the room was waiting to be seen. I grabbed a blank chart and made my way to Exam 3.  
  
Mark and his patient were the second curtain so I could enter the room without being noticed. "Mr. Castern, I'm Dr. Lewis. Can you tell me what's bothering you?" As Mr. Castern explained what symptoms he had, I noticed that Mark had looked around the curtain to see who I was. "Mark, Dr. Corday wants you to stop by her office when you get a chance," I said and went back to my patient, as did he. He left the room when he finished with his patient and didn't even look back.   
  
I ordered the prescription for my patient, and went back over to the desk. I stopped before I reached it because I started to hear a conversation between Mark and Kerry. "Kerry, when were you planning on telling me that you were going to hire someone else?"  
  
"Mark, it wasn't of your concern. If I remember correctly I'm still the Chief of Staff. And I make those decisions."  
  
"It is of my concern, especially since it is Susan. I should be told when I have another attending to work with."  
  
I had heard enough; I walked over to the desk to start to sign out my patient. Kerry ended the conversation when she saw me by saying, "Well it's too late now. It's been done. Now if you would excuse me I have patients to see." Kerry pushed past the ad mit desk, leaving me and Mark in unsettling silence.  
  
Mark stared at the ground not wanting to make any type of eye contact with me at all. I had to start some type of conversation because I knew he wouldn't. "So, Jen let Rachel move in with you?"  
  
Mark looked up as if just noticing I was there. "Yeah. She figured that it would be a little better for her to be here for awhile." Mark seemed to have a reason that he didn't want to explain to me, and he quickly changed the subject. "So, how's little Suzie?"  
  
"She's doing great. She's really liking her school in Hungary…" Mark looked at me a little funny. But didn't ask the question I knew he was thinking. I answered him anyway, "Chloe really cleaned up her act. She and Jon got married and Suzie has a little brother now. Jon's job transferred him to Hungary, and they moved in April. I stayed in Phoenix for about a month after they left but it didn't feel comfortable anymore. I wound up in hospitals across the country but nothing ever lasted. I finally knew where I had to be. County had my friends, my family, the people I love are all here." There was another short period of silence before I continued. "Mark, I was really stupid for leaving. I have spent almost every night trying to build up enough courage to pick up the phone and call you. Could we please just forget that these past few years didn't happen?"  
  
Just then Dr. Corday came around the corner with Rachel. She stopped when she heard me say the last few sentences. Mark turned to look at her and smiled. "As much as I want to Susan, I can't. When you left it hurt, for a long time, but I gave up on the fantasy that you would come running back. I have everything I want right now. I finally have my career in order; I have two daughters, and an amazing wife. The last thing I ever expected was for you to come back, and as much as I once wanted to go back to what we had, I don't anymore. I'm sorry." Mark turned and walked away, right past his daughter and Dr. Corday.   
  
I stood there with tears building in my eyes just watching him walk away. Rachel ran after him, leaving me and Dr. Corday alone. She lead me to the lounge and made me sit down on the couch as the tears started to fall. "How could I have been so stupid? There was no way that he still wanted things to be the way they used to be. It's been too long."  
  
"Susan, you couldn't have known," she replied. I thought that she was being extra nice to me, considering that we had only met that afternoon.   
  
"I never thought that he would be married. I played out every possible situation, but not this one."  
  
Elizabeth waited before responding. "Mark's been through a lot in the past few years. He's needed people to lean on, and someone was there for him."  
  
"Do you know who he's married to?"  
  
"Uhh… one of the surgeons." Elizabeth looked up at the clock in an attempt to leave. "I hate to have to run, but I have a surgery scheduled soon and need to scrub in."  
  
Elizabeth left the room and Rachel came in after her. If anyone would be totally honest with me about who Mark was happy with, it would be her. "Rachel, tell me honestly, who's your father married to?"  
  
Rachel waited before answering. I knew she didn't want to tell me, to save me feelings. But I made her tell me anyway. "He's married to one of the surgeons."  
  
She knew that this answer was not good enough, and she waited as long as she possibly could before telling me. "Dr. Corday."  
  
  
To Be Continued????  
  
If you like this story please read and review it. If I get a good enough amount of good reviews, I will add the points of view of Mark, Elizabeth and some other characters for this day.  
Thanks!  
~Noisemaker~  
  



	2. Ch 2 Elizabeth's POV

First Meetings- Elizabeth's POV  
  
Author: Noisemaker  
  
Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing. There are owned by NBC, Warner Brothers or whoever else has money invested in them.  
  
Summary: This is a point-of-view story. Hasn't been awhile since I've updated but I felt inspired to continue it. Time: End of September 2001. Assume that nothing after that has happened.  
  
Cast of Characters: Pretty much everyone in the cast  
  
"Somebody called for a consult?" I asked coming into the Trauma Room. Instead of seeing Carter, or Luka like I normally do I come face to face with a 'new' doctor.' I introduced myself quickly and went straight into the diagnosis. "There's some rebounding in the abdomen. Lydia, get me the ultrasound." This new doctor introduced herself as "Dr. Lewis," a name I've heard in passing before back when Doug and Carol were still here and they talked about the old times, back before everyone's lives where thrown for a loop.  
  
We started to wheel him towards the elevators and I asked Dr. Lewis to send Mark to my office. I must have given her a weird look when she said that she had been looking for him all day, because she got suddenly quiet. But we were out of that awkward situation due to the opening doors.  
  
The surgery went surprisingly well. Not too much blood and no complications thank god. I don't think I can deal with anymore complicated procedures today. There's only so much you can handle in one shift. Rachel and I head down to meet Mark in the ER and walk in just as Susan is spilling her emotions to him. It's more than a little shocking to hear that another woman is in love with your husband. I stop to listen to what he has to say to her, "As much as I want to Susan, I can't. When you left it hurt, for a long time, but I gave up on the fantasy that you would come running back. I have everything I want right now. I finally have my career in order; I have two daughters, and an amazing wife. The last thing I ever expected was for you to come back, and as much as I once wanted to go back to what we had, I don't anymore. I'm sorry." I don't know if he was so caught up in the moment and didn't notice me, or if he intentionally ignored me, but he stormed right past me and Rachel and ran up the stairs.  
  
Rachel ran off after him, leaving me and Susan alone in the lounge. This was not the best situation to be in at the moment. "How could I have been so stupid? There was no way that he still wanted things to be the way they used to be. It's been too long," she said as she started to cry. Mark must not have told her who he was married to, because I doubt that she would dish her feelings to me if she knew. All I could do was sit there and comfort her.  
  
"Susan, you couldn't have known," I replied. I don't know if I was coming off as being too nice, but I can't just sit there and let someone bawl their eyes out in front of me.  
  
"I never thought that he would be married. I played out every possible situation, but not this one."  
  
I waited before responding, unsure of how to defend him without making too obvious. "Mark's been through a lot in the past few years. He's needed people to lean on, and someone was there for him."  
  
"Do you know who he's married to?" she asked me.  
  
"Uhh. one of the surgeons," was all that I could do to answer her. Even though my shift was technically over I had come up with an excuse to get out of the situation. "I hate to have to run, but I have a surgery scheduled soon and need to scrub in."  
  
I hate to have to leave her alone like that. But luckily Rachel came in as I was leaving the lounge. She would be able to talk to Susan and calm her down, I hope. I went up to my office to sit and think about what had just happened. There was another woman downstairs who came back because she was in love with my husband. But as far as I could see he had no interest in her anymore, which I had expected. It was just that the idea of having her working next to him everyday would more than likely lead to awkward situations like the one that had just transpired. With all the stress already building this was going to lead to a very trying time. 


End file.
